Anyone applying for 2018?

Hi!
Does anyone still use this site...? Unsure, but I thought I'd throw this thread out there anyway. I like old school forums like this more than the format of Reddit.

I'm from Canada, applying for an ALT position in the 2018 intake. The application portal just opened and I'm starting to draft my SOP. It might be nice to have a thread to chat or swap SOPs with any fellow applicants!

Re: Anyone applying for 2018?

But sometimes ALT-sensei use hashi. I think is very subarashii. Maybe it is not real for my eyes. I must ask him if hashi is ok to use. ... So I am still very confused about hashi. I will ask again in the future everyday.

Re: Anyone applying for 2018?

Hi to you both!
Cranguy, how was your time in Hokkaido? What made you decide to reapply?

The Canadian app opened last week and right now I'm working towards a final draft of my personal statement. I also requested reference letters and my transcripts. I think that's all the paperwork I need...? I thought I'd need a doctor's note but apparently if you have no medical history a note is not needed until after one passes the interview. I still feel like I'm missing something, haha.

Re: Anyone applying for 2018?

Originally Posted by phthalocyanine

Hi to you both!
Cranguy, how was your time in Hokkaido? What made you decide to reapply?

Honestly it was one of the most fulfilling things I've done in my life. Which is a primary reason I want to go back. I had an amazing small-town placement (in the town of Kikonai) where I got along swimmingly with my BOE and they treated me well. I'm going to try to request Kikonai again if possible.

I've been running a small online business back in the US which has gone "ok" but I underestimated the real costs of rent, insurance, etc, as a self-employed person with literally nobody to back me up. I'm paying the bills but that's about it -- no savings -- and I have that nagging feeling my life isn't going in the direction I anticipated. Not to mention my overall lifestyle (diet, exercise) was better in Japan.

Originally Posted by OatsCurrySummer

Also interested in this answer.
I would consider doing JET again after this contract is up as long as I can get a different placement.

Be aware that the rules in the US require you to wait 3 years after you have finished a contract before you can apply again.

Last edited by cranguy; September 27th, 2017 at 02:07.

Originally Posted by Jiggit

But sometimes ALT-sensei use hashi. I think is very subarashii. Maybe it is not real for my eyes. I must ask him if hashi is ok to use. ... So I am still very confused about hashi. I will ask again in the future everyday.

Re: Anyone applying for 2018?

How are you guys structuring your SOPs? I've been writing and rewriting this thing and it's still terrible lol I think I need to go old school and brainstorm on paper... I've been out of university for a year and a half and apparently I forgot how to write...?

Re: Anyone applying for 2018?

I checked out Tofugu's guide and it was really helpful! I think I've written something kind of passable but I still need to go through it again and write a final draft. I've collected almost all my other paperwork though and now I'm just waiting for reference letters to arrive in the mail before I can send off the package. eek. How's your application going?

Re: Anyone applying for 2018?

Originally Posted by Andiefav

Did anyone get an interview? What do you think the best way to prepare is? I am super nervous, mine is on Friday in Portland.

My interview is on next Thursday. I am just referring to Tofugu's guide on how to prepare for the Jet interview to prepare (the article was written in 2015). Though if anyone else has other ways to prepare, I'd love to know as well!

Re: Anyone applying for 2018?

The main thing I think that people (the ones who aren't crazy) misunderstand is that you're applying for a job and you want to speak in that capacity. They don't give the job to whoever they think has "earned" it by showing the most enthusiasm/interest, in fact I've known many JET ALTs who barely knew the first thing about the culture or language. So make sure you focus on why you would be a good assistant language teacher over how much you love Japan.

Also you want to come across as someone who is flexible, adaptable and open to new experiences; the last thing they want is someone who is going to suffer so badly from culture shock that they leave after one year or even break contract. It happens, and it often happens because people get a fixed idea of what their life in Japan will be like and that doesn't match at all with the reality.